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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · mark · firm · bay · trunk · roll · bulb · rash

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a partner
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. roll — a list
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com